Terry Branstad on Drugs

Medical cannabis oil ok, but nothing more

Yesterday the Iowa Senate approved by 36 votes to 12 a bill to legalize the use of medical cannabis oil for treating certain seizure conditions. The roll call in the Senate Journal shows that all 26 Iowa Senate Democrats voted for the cannabis oil bill,
joined by ten Republicans [including] Joni Ernst.

During the floor debate, several Republicans warned that passing the bill would send the wrong message to teenagers, leading to more recreational use of marijuana. That's hard to fathom, since the bill
does not legalize smoking marijuana, even for terminally or chronically ill Iowans who could benefit from medical cannabis in that form.

Key Iowa House Republicans and Governor Terry Branstad have made clear that for now, they would consider only a
bill to allow access to medical cannabis oil.

A sign of how far the political ground has shifted in the medical marijuana debate: Joni Ernst is in fiercely competitive GOP primaries for U.S. Senate, and voted for this bill.